Confirmation of the human-pathogenic microsporidia Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, and Vittaforma corneae in water.

ABSTRACT: Microsporidia, as a group, cause a wide range of infections, though two species of microsporidia in particular, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis, are associated with gastrointestinal disease in humans. To date, the mode of transmission and environmental occurrence of microsporidia have not been elucidated due to lack of sensitive and specific screening methods. The present study was undertaken with recently developed methods to screen several significant water sources. Water concentrates were subjected to community DNA extraction followed by microsporidium-specific PCR amplification, PCR sequencing, and database homology comparison. A total of 14 water concentrates were screened; 7 of these contained human-pathogenic microsporidia. The presence of Encephalitozoon in

SUBMITTER: Dowd SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC106729 | biostudies-literature | 1998 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature